Rhode Island Geography Education Alliance (RIGEA) and the Rhode Island Geographic Information System (RIGIS) are offering a 4-day summer GIS institute for teachers called Get ConnectED! Online Mapping for New England Educators. New England K-12 teachers from upper elementary through high school are invited to apply to the Get ConnectED! institute. The institute will be held at Rhode Island College from July 27-30, 2015. Each participating teacher will receive a stipend of $300.

GoalsAs a result of completing the institute, participants will be able to
• create and share online maps using ArcGIS Online;
• integrate ArcGIS Online into their classroom instruction
• locate spatial data resources for their community and state, the United States, and the world;
• apply appropriate GIS skills and tools in thinking critically about real-world situations and problems, particularly those facing New England;
• describe real-world applications of GIS and career opportunities in the field;
• participate in the President’s ConnectED initiative to foster the development of 21st Century workplace skills by infusing teaching and learning with 21st Century technology

Costs
• Participants are responsible for transportation to and from Rhode Island College.
• Participants are responsible for their own housing if unable to commute to the institute.
• A very light continental breakfast as well as lunch will be provided daily.
• There is no registration fee. We will send invitations on the basis of successful applications.

Requirements
• Institute applicants should have good computer skills and experience in teaching with computers
• Instruction will be held in computer labs at RIC, but participants may choose to bring a laptop of their own as well (optional)
• If you have a smartphone or tablet capable of wireless connection, please bring it to the institute

During the Institute, July 27-30, 2015A schedule for the week will be supplied to applicants who are invited to participate. Institute activities will run from 8:00 am to 3:00 pm on the Rhode Island College campus’ Alger Hall, in rooms 101 and 102. Participants can expect a wide variety of activities and topics, such as:
• Participating in hands-on exercises, demonstrations, and discussion;
• Practicing alternative instructional strategies for teaching with Esri GIS;
• Working with Esri web-based GIS on computers and mobile devices;
• Collecting and mapping local data;
• Working with a variety of spatial data formats

After the Institute, to be completed by Nov 15, 2015
• Request an ArcGIS Online organization account from Esri (this is free and available to all U.S. schools)
• Attend an optional one-day follow-up workshop on October 3, 2015. This workshop will review best practices for setting up and managing ConnectED organization accounts, share successful ideas and strategies, and address questions or problems that institute participants have experienced
• Post one or more student-created maps to the online RIGEA organization

To apply to the Get ConnectED! institute, complete the online application form. Applications must be submitted by May 1, 2015. Invitations will be sent to successful applicants by May 15, 2015.